


Close Encounters

by AirgiodSLV



Series: 28 Lotrips AUs Challenge [11]
Category: The Lord of the Rings RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-04-20
Updated: 2006-04-20
Packaged: 2019-07-20 12:15:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16137041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AirgiodSLV/pseuds/AirgiodSLV
Summary: “Space freighter scum,” the pirate announced, slamming Elijah back against the wall and driving the breath out of his lungs before he could speak. “Out alone, without anyone to call for assistance? Your ship is ours, and you are too. Space can make a man mighty lonely, pretty boy.”





	Close Encounters

**Author's Note:**

> AU #4, for [](https://magnoliafires.livejournal.com/profile)[magnoliafires](https://magnoliafires.livejournal.com/).

“I have a _what?_ ” Elijah snarled, fists clenched in impotent frustration at his sides.

The inspection officer looked unimpressed with his display of temper. “An observer. Just for a week, to monitor your flight patterns and watch how you handle certain situations. It’s for your safety, as well as the safety of your ship and our fleet. It’s standard procedure, I assure you.”

“Standard procedure for a _new captain_ ,” Elijah corrected acidly. “I’ve been flying solo for over a year now, with a clean record and no major damage to my ship, why are they putting an observer with me now?”

“Minor changes in the Mycenean Code,” the inspection officer replied blandly. “You’re now too young to be licensed as a captain, but since you already have your license and your probation period is long up, an observer is being put with you as a compromise to keep you from losing your ship.”

The officer’s tone had some steel in it now, a warning that he would not put up with further complaints. “Chancellor Blanchett is very concerned about the rights of children under the current work laws,” he said tightly. “Be glad we could get you this much.”

Elijah grumbled “Children” under his breath savagely, but gave up and took his leave as politely as possible, heading back to the _Runner_. His steps slowed when he saw there was someone waiting for him outside the docking ramp, but he gritted his teeth and forced himself onwards.

“Captain Wood,” the officer said respectfully, offering a small, pale hand for Elijah to shake. “I’m Inspector Boyd, I’ll be your observer on the run this week.”

“Inspector,” Elijah said, a bit more stiffly than the man himself was probably due. Boyd didn’t seem to take offense, just waited for Elijah to key open the hatch and invite him on board.

“Are you planning to leave immediately?” Boyd asked, after stowing his gear on the pull-out top bunk and joining Elijah in the cockpit, where he was already flipping through the pre-flight sequence.

“Yeah, as soon as I finish the checks,” Elijah answered, frowning a little at his fuel gauge until the heater kicked in and it spiraled slowly up to 140. “We have ten days for this run, but if we leave now we can make it through the Babylon Nebula between storms. We ought to be back by the eighth day, if all goes well.”

Boyd’s lips turned up in a smile. “You just want me off your ship,” he commented, and Elijah threw him a quick surprised glance but forbore to reply.

“The _Runner_ has a few modifications you may not be aware of, all government-approved but not on the initial specifications,” Elijah said, digging out a dog-eared manual and handing it over to his passenger. “The paperwork is all in there, in case you get confused about what you’re seeing.”

Boyd ducked his head as if reading with interest, but Elijah could see the amused expression he was half-covering with one hand. He tried not to bristle and concentrated on the launch, and within twenty minutes they were leaving the atmosphere and Elijah could relax back into his seat.

“You miss it when you’re gone, don’t you?” Boyd asked from beside him. “Flying, space.”

“Don’t all captains?” Elijah countered mildly. The stars surrounded his clear cockpit, lulling him into calm again, anxiety and frustration flooding into the vacuum now that he was away from people and planets.

“Some more than others,” Boyd replied. His fingers tapped against the manual lightly, watching the stars instead of Elijah’s flying. “I’ve been doing this for a while, and you can tell when they love it, and when it’s just a job. It’s not a job to you.”

“I still get paid,” Elijah remarked, setting the autopilot and stretching back in his chair. “If these children’s work laws of yours…”

“ATTENTION SPACESHIP _WATER RUNNER_ ,” a voice boomed over the intercom, and Elijah jerked out of his relaxed pose instantly, eyes wide. Boyd frowned, leaning over to try to see his monitors, and Elijah batted him impatiently out of the way.

“THIS IS THE PIRATING SHIP _HADREUS_. WE HAVE YOU IN OUR WEAPONS SCOPES, PREPARE TO BE BOARDED.”

“Fuck,” Elijah swore with feeling, and tried to do several things with the controls while simultaneously shielding them from Boyd’s sight. He engaged the communications system, but it kicked back with a squawk and the crackling hiss of feedback.

“You’re being jammed,” Boyd said, and Elijah punched the communications system off, still swearing viciously.

“I know, just let me handle this, okay?” Elijah ordered, prepping one of the signal flares for launch. Boyd saw what he was doing and frowned.

“That’s too short-range, no one will be able to see it but the pirating ship, and if they know you have flares they might…”

“I said just let me deal with this,” Elijah snapped, watching the prep time crawl slowly through the countdown, taking far too long to get to zero. “I know this guy, it’s fine. We just need…”

“SPACESHIP _WATER RUNNER_ , YOU ARE BEING BOARDED,” the intercom boomed, and Elijah smacked his hand against the control panel and unbuckled his flight gear, heading back to the docking hatch.

“You have weapons,” Boyd said in a bewildered tone. “As least send a message to the government on the emergency channel, there are other ships within range…”

“Don’t touch anything!” Elijah yelled, just as the docking hatch flipped open and a pirate tumbled on board.

“Space freighter scum,” the pirate announced, slamming Elijah back against the wall and driving the breath out of his lungs before he could speak. “Out alone, without anyone to call for assistance? Your ship is ours, and you are too. Space can make a man mighty lonely, pretty boy.”

Elijah drew breath again and saw Boyd stealthily making his way back, clutching what looked like a metal spanner in his right hand. “No!” he tried to shout, but the cry was abruptly muffled by another mouth on his.

Elijah allowed it for all of a second before biting down on the tongue that had insinuated itself into his mouth. The pirate pulled back with a puzzled frown, and Elijah took in a deep breath before saying dryly, “This isn’t really a good time, Dom.”

Boyd froze in confusion, and Elijah held up a hand to keep him at a distance. “It’s okay, he’s a friend.”

Dom half-turned to get a look at Boyd, and frowned back at Elijah. Boyd tilted his head, obviously confused. “He’s not a pirate?”

“Oh, he’s definitely a pirate,” Dom announced loudly, squeezing Elijah a little to make the point. “Who the hell are you?”

“He’s a government inspection officer,” Elijah said with a wince, trying to subtly extricate himself from Dom’s embrace. “I’m being observed.”

Dom’s eyebrows lifted, still puzzled but no longer squeezing the life out of Elijah’s ribcage. “Ah. Well, in that case,” he said shiftily, “I’m not a pirate after all.”

Elijah sighed, but Boyd just looked amused, now that the serious crisis of boarding by space pirates had been averted. “Do you make a habit of assaulting government spaceship captains?” he asked dryly.

Dom looked mildly apologetic. “Just this one,” he assured Boyd, and finally seemed to realize that he was still holding Elijah pinned to the wall. “Uh, sorry about that.”

“It’s okay,” Elijah answered, face flaming. He tried to look anywhere but at Boyd, and wondered despairingly how this would affect his observance report.

“Well. I’ll just be going…” Dom began, taking a step back, but Boyd shook his head, waving negligently and shaking with silent laughter.

“No, it’s quite all right. We have an extra few days, right, Captain Wood?” Boyd pursed his lips in obvious amusement as Elijah flushed again. “You two carry on.” He winked at Dom and pressed past them, heading back towards the sleeping quarters. “I’ll be in my bunk.”


End file.
